The charges relate to an accident in 2008 that led to the death of a 36-year-old woman. At 8.15am, Carl Pistorius, dressed in a neat black suit and white shirt, entered courtroom J and went to speak to his lawyers.
He went to sit in the public gallery and greeted the journalists. A short while later his sister Aimee arrived. The siblings hugged each other and asked the journalists standing nearby if they could have a private moment.
Reporters left the front row of the public gallery after Aimee indicated that more relatives would be attending proceedings. Photographers took images of the family as Carl sat perusing documents.
Magistrate Buks du Plessis indicated he would first make a ruling on the presence of the media in the court. In a statement last month, Pistorius family attorney Kenny Oldwage said after the accident culpable homicide charges were brought against Carl Pistorius.
Blood tests conducted by the police at the time proved that he had not been under the influence of alcohol.
The state later withdrew them charges against Carl, but the National Prosecuting Authority had them reinstated. Oldwage said the charge would be challenged in court.
Carl's appearance comes a day before Oscar is expected to challenge the bail conditions the Pretoria Magistrate's Court imposed on him.
The court granted him bail of R1-million on February 22 after he was charged with the murder of his girlfriend, law graduate and model Reeva Steenkamp, in his Pretoria home on February 14. – Sapa